Billey Bronco Beast, at Home in the Snow

There she is - the 1987 Bronco (aka "The Beast"), built in the same year my nephew Erik was born and photographed this morning after a storm dropped an additional 5 inches last night. I had brushed most of it off before taking the shot.

I purchased the Beast for snowy days for a mere $1000 from Bea's best friend Karl who owns the Chevron service station in town. That means she comes not just with a mechanic, but with chains, jumper cables, a mini solar panel that plugs into the cigarette lighter to (theoretically) help charge the battery.

Because let's face it: I'm not in Sherman Oaks anymore. Somewhere along the way, I clicked my ruby slippers together and wound up in the most beautiful winter country I've ever seen in my life.

But with that weather and with that country came the need for four-wheel drive! I mean, okay, I could have gotten used to putting chains on the Honda every time I drove up the 203 into town, and taking them off when they were no longer required on the 395, or some version of that on-off pain-in-the-ass scenario in freezing weather, but who wants to deal with that?

Hence: The Beast! It's the first time I've ever held the pink slip to two cars, not to mention being the owner of an American one. Learning to drive the Bronco in severe weather like we've had for about a week now has been quite a change from the little Honda (sidelined to the back driveway).


The Beast gets me through conditions such as the above. That was my morning commute today, in 4 wheel drive, about 8:15 a.m. just coming into the Town of Mammoth Lakes on Highway 203. As I forged ahead slowly but surely, others could be seen at the foot of 203, struggling to put on chains in the high winds or paying Dude in the Big Camper $40 to do so. Scam.

Mammoth Mountain is obscured in the distance by a blizzard, winds reportedly as high as 100 miles per hour. When my editor, Diane Eagle, saw the Beast parked in the lot before she got to work, she announced that I was her hero! Always good to hear words of praise from the Chief. Because it's understood that if the conditions are truly hazardous on the 395 (the wind was fierce this morning, creating potential white-out conditions near the airport), I can choose to stay home.


And that's my new home in the far distance, the area blanketed with last week's snow before last night's storm blew a fresh powdery layer in. Contrast that shot with the first one on the previous blog. At least the temperature is hovering well above zero these days. Last week, it was below 10 degrees at night!

Oh, I'll bet my cousin Patricia is now wondering if I'll ever decide to buy an actual, bona fide, brand new car? You know what, cuz, depending on how things go this winter, that may actually be on the New Year's agenda! Meanwhile, the Honda will take me to my southern California life, and the Bronco will take me through the winter wonderland.

Love to all - and here's to a magical Winter Solstice.